Locanda

Locanda Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Walk east past the iconic The Drake hotel to find this true locals’ spot, also tucked next to (but not affiliated with) the Residence Inn. A long skinny patio set up with metal tables is the place to be come warmer weather. Due to the restaurant’s location away from the bustling Mag Mile, diners won’t be overwhelmed by sound. Indoors, a wide dining room is heavy in wood.

Likes: Hospitable service.
Dislikes: The main dining room could use a little more ambience.

Food & Drinks: Precise portions and rich flavors are the signatures of Antoine Cedicci’s Italian concept in the Gold Coast. No stranger to this style of food, the chef (best known for Pane Caldo and Trattoria Ultimo) maximizes the boldness of every bite. To open, try the Parmesan Ravioli Contrario with crispy prosciutto and corn sauce or the roasted beets in sea salt mingling with a honey lime vinaigrette. Seafood pasta makes a statement. King crab ravioli with saffron sauce and squid ink tonnarelli are standouts, while the grilled lamb chops and earthy duck confit ragù on a bed of linguine sate larger appetites. Pair house-made goat cheese and fig gelato with one of the 80 old-world wines, including Barolo, Barbaresco and more. Attentive servers mill about with well-timed pours of Sancerre and regional Italian reds and whites.